About McLeodganj
McLeod Ganj is a village in the suburbs of Dharamshala, in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It has an average elevation of 2,082 metres (6,831 feet). It is situated in the lap of Dhauladhar Range, a branch of the southern outer Himalayas. The village is named after Lord David McLeod, the English lieutenant governor of Punjab, who founded it in 1848 as a retreat from the heat of the plains. The suffix Ganj is a common Hindi word for neighbourhood. By the early 1900s it had become an important centre of trade, commerce, and official work of Kangra District. But in 1905 the area was destroyed by a devastating earthquake, leaving the area without any significant activity for almost half a century. McLeod Ganj has a population of about 10,000 people, including local Indians, Nepalese, exile Tibetans, and foreign expats. It is predominantly inhabited by a hill tribe, the Gaddis. The Nepalese community began after a Gurkha regiment was moved here by the British in the late 1800s. After the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, fled to India with thousands of followers. He was initially sheltered in Mussoorie, but on 30 April 1960 he came to McLeod Ganj, where he established the Central Tibetan Administration. Since then McLeod Ganj has risen to an important international destination.
Recommendations
  • It is recommended that the authorities concerned complete the McLeod bus station on a priority basis. The project was started 10 years ago.
  • The big garbage dump box in front of the Dalai Lama temple should be moved to a different place.
  • The taxis standing in front of Dalai Lama Temple is making the Temple circle very congested, and is also not respectful to the Dalai Lama and the community.

Devi Darshan

Shiva Darshan

Trekking Points

Monasteries & Buddhist Circuit

Other Attractions